Earbuds can lead to hearing loss in teens and adults

By SACHI FUJIMORI

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

Stand near any teen bopping with his or her earphones in, and chances are you can tell whether the music is hip-hop, techno or the latest indie tune.

Younger generations have always preferred their music loud, and experts have long cautioned that prolonged periods of headphone use can cause hearing loss. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg last week took up the cause as his latest public health crusade, announcing a $250,000 social media campaign to caution young people about the dangers of too loud music on personal listening devices.

The evolution from outside-the-ear headphones to today's ubiquitous earbuds is leading to one in five teenagers having some hearing loss, according to a 2010 Journal of the American Medical Association study.

"Hearing loss due to music has been an issue with patients of all types," said Dr. David Lewis, an otolaryngologist (ENT) at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck. "I conduct hearing tests on teenagers and they're often shocked they have mild hearing loss they didn't even know they had."

Two factors are likely driving the increase in sound-induced hearing loss, said Lewis. People, especially teens, are listening to music for longer stretches of the day, because of the portability and long battery life of modern music devices. Secondly, earbuds go directly in the ear, creating a seal and "more direct focused sound energy in the ear," he said.

The American Academy of Audiology has a youth public awareness campaign, "Turn It to the Left," which includes a rap song that warns kids of the dangers of loud music with verses like "It ain't no fun when you're 21, but your ears are 81."

At 85 decibels (dB), noise can begin to cause hearing loss, according to the American Academy of Audiology. The length of sound exposure matters, too. A hair dryer, blender or lawn mower produces 80 dB of sound; an MP3 at full volume produces 100 dB of sound; concerts and sporting events can generate up to 110 dB of noise.

Listening to devices at 100 dB for as little as 30 minutes can start to cause hearing problems, according Dr. Jason Surow, an otolaryngologist with ENT and Allergy Associates in Oradell. He advises those wearing earbuds that if someone else can hear their music, it's too loud.

Hearing loss from loud noises happens when tiny hair cells in the inner ear that act as receptors get overstimulated and permanently damaged. Some people can experience temporary hearing loss and ringing in the ear after a sudden noise trauma, such as a popping firecracker or a night of clubbing. But the damage more often becomes permanent after extended exposure to loud noises such as factory work or constant iPod listening. There is no effective treatment for noise-induced hearing loss, said Surow, though researchers are in the early phases of stem cell therapies to repair these cells.

Tenafly High School junior Raven Hecht, 16, admits she blasts music on her iPhone when she's in louder environments, but not when she's at home studying. "It depends where I am. If I'm in the hallway at school or at the gym I listen to it a lot louder," said Hecht, who likes to listen to everything from Led Zeppelin to Lady Gaga on 75 percent volume, but never maximum.

Last June, she had her hearing tested at a medical checkup and she had "perfect hearing," she said. "Eventually our hearing goes as we get older and age, along with our sight. I won't necessarily change my ways," she said.

Many young people don't realize that listening to loud music now can lead to irreversible hearing loss later in life. "For the typical 17-year-old, it's not something they notice at all. The earlier signs start to affect them as they get older," said Lewis.

He advises parents to encourage their kids to get used to enjoying music at medium levels, but recognizes it's a difficult battle. "It's a subjective concept. Most teenagers would disagree that medium is loud enough," he said.

Earbuds can lead to hearing loss in teens and adults

By SACHI FUJIMORI

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

Stand near any teen bopping with his or her earphones in, and chances are you can tell whether the music is hip-hop, techno or the latest indie tune.

Younger generations have always preferred their music loud, and experts have long cautioned that prolonged periods of headphone use can cause hearing loss. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg last week took up the cause as his latest public health crusade, announcing a $250,000 social media campaign to caution young people about the dangers of too loud music on personal listening devices.

The evolution from outside-the-ear headphones to today's ubiquitous earbuds is leading to one in five teenagers having some hearing loss, according to a 2010 Journal of the American Medical Association study.

"Hearing loss due to music has been an issue with patients of all types," said Dr. David Lewis, an otolaryngologist (ENT) at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck. "I conduct hearing tests on teenagers and they're often shocked they have mild hearing loss they didn't even know they had."

Two factors are likely driving the increase in sound-induced hearing loss, said Lewis. People, especially teens, are listening to music for longer stretches of the day, because of the portability and long battery life of modern music devices. Secondly, earbuds go directly in the ear, creating a seal and "more direct focused sound energy in the ear," he said.

The American Academy of Audiology has a youth public awareness campaign, "Turn It to the Left," which includes a rap song that warns kids of the dangers of loud music with verses like "It ain't no fun when you're 21, but your ears are 81."

At 85 decibels (dB), noise can begin to cause hearing loss, according to the American Academy of Audiology. The length of sound exposure matters, too. A hair dryer, blender or lawn mower produces 80 dB of sound; an MP3 at full volume produces 100 dB of sound; concerts and sporting events can generate up to 110 dB of noise.

Listening to devices at 100 dB for as little as 30 minutes can start to cause hearing problems, according Dr. Jason Surow, an otolaryngologist with ENT and Allergy Associates in Oradell. He advises those wearing earbuds that if someone else can hear their music, it's too loud.

Hearing loss from loud noises happens when tiny hair cells in the inner ear that act as receptors get overstimulated and permanently damaged. Some people can experience temporary hearing loss and ringing in the ear after a sudden noise trauma, such as a popping firecracker or a night of clubbing. But the damage more often becomes permanent after extended exposure to loud noises such as factory work or constant iPod listening. There is no effective treatment for noise-induced hearing loss, said Surow, though researchers are in the early phases of stem cell therapies to repair these cells.

Tenafly High School junior Raven Hecht, 16, admits she blasts music on her iPhone when she's in louder environments, but not when she's at home studying. "It depends where I am. If I'm in the hallway at school or at the gym I listen to it a lot louder," said Hecht, who likes to listen to everything from Led Zeppelin to Lady Gaga on 75 percent volume, but never maximum.

Last June, she had her hearing tested at a medical checkup and she had "perfect hearing," she said. "Eventually our hearing goes as we get older and age, along with our sight. I won't necessarily change my ways," she said.

Many young people don't realize that listening to loud music now can lead to irreversible hearing loss later in life. "For the typical 17-year-old, it's not something they notice at all. The earlier signs start to affect them as they get older," said Lewis.

He advises parents to encourage their kids to get used to enjoying music at medium levels, but recognizes it's a difficult battle. "It's a subjective concept. Most teenagers would disagree that medium is loud enough," he said.